Opening Comments

<ShepherdHoodwin> MICHAEL: Greetings to you all. There is much power and fluidity available tonight.

Take a moment to tune in to yourself. "Self" here includes essence--all of you. Feel how large you really are. Allow what is not you to fall away. Sense the group bonding vibrationally. There is stillness emerging. Some of you may wish to allow a direct experience of our energy as well as through the channel. Notice how quickly energy can be transformed. Would anyone like to share your experience of this?

<TzM> i suddenly feel totally calm, breathing deeply, plugged in. is this direct from Michael or thru you?
<Tasha> I feel very calm, very connected.
<neids27> I feel kind of bad but I'm not probably as tuned in as I should be. But I want to believe that there are really no special conditions I need to comply with.
<Elo-Maria> I felt change, like some stronger energy suddenly came through.
<janie> I am calm peaceful but definitely energized.
<TzM> Yes...energized...tingly.
<Susan_G> For me... I am a little more focused and a little less distracted.
<Jyoti_Shah> My fingers feel tingly too!
<Elisa17> I think I'm not quite getting it.
<Melissa_Cherie> Melissa--feels anxious...
<laughingboi> I'm just trying to be open to the idea.
<janie> Strange things happening here...TV went off, and then computer screen
<ivy> Calm, blissful.
<Ed`> I feel quite still.
<Terri> I feel us all in a room together, surrounded by the Michaels. I feel a higher energy in my chest.
<Melissa_Cherie> Cherie feels jumpy...

<ShepherdHoodwin> Not everyone has yet developed the ability to consciously discern energies, but if you have the intention to do so and remain open, your skills will increase over time. As you remain open to feeling the higher energies, also allow yourself to feel deeply connected with nature.

<Jyoti_Shah> How can one develop this kind of ability? How much does meditation help

<ShepherdHoodwin> Send your energies downward as if you were a mighty tree reaching its roots into the earth. Yes, Jyoti, meditation can be a big help. But mainly, it's about noticing what has always been there. Tziporah, you are connecting both directly and through the channel.

<ShepherdHoodwin> The group has come together beautifully. A lot of good work can be accomplished tonight. We will start with a general question, Dave. We invite you all to treat this session as a meditation, continuing to allow energetic transformation.

<DaveGregg> Diane, you have the first question tonight...
 

Q & A

<DianeK> Hi Shepherd and Michael ;-) I'm curious about "family life" on earth when infant souls were the only ones here. How were the families structured, and how did they interact with one another? How did the dynamics change when baby souls began to incarnate? Did baby souls choose infant soul parents and then seek to structure them?

<ShepherdHoodwin> If you start to feel uncomfortable in any way, remember to connect with nature; that should stabilize the higher energies.

Infant soul families were, as you might expect, focused on survival. There were many crises related to childbirth, health in general, and food supplies. However, you might be surprised at how loving and close-knit these families often were. Many modern complications had not yet set it. It was rare, for example, for there to be domestic violence, beyond a swat to a child to teach it not to do something. Most did not understand paternity, so families were not "nuclear" in the way that is defined today. Instead, there were small clusters that joined together as units, typically three adult males and three adult females, along with all the females' children. If someone wasn't getting along well in one cluster, s/he might migrate to a nearby one, but generally, these were stable units. Sexual play was mostly kept within one's cluster, and same-sex play was not uncommon.

Infant soul societies, especially in the earlier stages, tend to be peaceful. Cooperation is the norm, because without it, survival is compromised. There is not a lot of individual identity. Finding your individual fulfillment would be a foreign concept. If one cluster had extra food, it freely shared it with others if they needed it. There wasn't much understanding of food storage, so they would eat more when they had more and try to gain weight for the lean times.

Moving toward the baby soul level, these clusters started to make alliances with other clusters. The beginning of the baby soul cycle is marked by the formation of larger groupings that individuals would identify with.
So, loyalty is no longer primarily to one's cluster but to this larger grouping, with or without a strong leader. The transition is gradual and slow enough that both parents and children make it together. However, it does occur that a 1st level baby soul is born to 7th level infant souls, and the baby soul child is driven by a desire to organize into larger groupings that the parents respect but don't necessarily take part in.

<ShepherdHoodwin> Any follow-up questions, Diane?

<DianeK> Interesting--thanks!

<ShepherdHoodwin> Would anyone else in the chat like to follow up on this specific question?

<Elisa17> I was wondering how older people fit into these infant soul societies?

<ShepherdHoodwin> Life spans were short--about 35, depending on the climate and food sources. People older than that were generally cherished, because their existence was somewhat miraculous. Since the focus of the first cycle is survival, being able to survive a long time was impressive.

Infant soul societies are, as a rule, pretty happy. As you can imagine, they get a lot of exercise and fresh, clean air. Food is natural, obviously. There is little room for neuroses of any kind, since they mitigate against survival.

<TzM> And I wondered about spirituality and whether these communities were primarily G-ddess centered?

<ShepherdHoodwin> Yes, these cultures worship the womb and the feminine in general, including the womb of the earth itself. Their spiritual practices tended to be simple and ritualistic. They found it natural to express thanks to the forces of nature when there was abundance or fortuitous circumstances.

 Once the souls feel they have a handle on survival, they seek more interesting challenges. Otherwise, boredom would set in. It is a natural progression to observe, once things are running pretty smoothly, "Now, what more can we do with this?" There is a playfulness to it, just as an infant starts to embrace the challenge of walking once it has mastered crawling.

<DianeK> So, the idea of infant souls with visible fear in the eyes is more specific to infant souls incarnate in a predominantly older soul world?

<ShepherdHoodwin> Infant souls quickly demonstrate raw fear when confronted with the unknown, even within a safe and stable infant soul community. For example, if a wild animal that seems threatening comes on the scene and the soul has not had previous experience with it.

<DianeK> Ah ha....the unknown, yes, that makes good sense.

<ShepherdHoodwin> It is true that there is a great deal for infant souls to fear within the complexity of a young soul world. It is harder for infant souls to live in a big city ghetto than in a remote village. However, infant souls today are often exposed to media that shows them how primitive they are, and this makes them want to accelerate their growth. Living in a big city, while harder, also can make for accelerated growth.

<ShepherdHoodwin> Thank you for bringing up this topic, Diane. We would again like to point your awareness to the group energy right now. We would say that it's filling in, becoming richer.

<ShepherdHoodwin> Dave, we can take a personal question now.
<DaveGregg> Elo-Maria, you're next...
 

<Elo-Maria> I'd like to know in which previous life I have most affected other people as an inspired Priest? Causing some considerable changes in their lives and minds and maybe in bigger society. And where, when and how I did it?

<ShepherdHoodwin> We see a few lifetimes that qualify, all but one as part of a service-oriented religious order. We'll highlight one:

You really shone as a Buddhist monk in India a couple centuries ago who renounced worldly rewards in favor of ministering to the ill. Even now, you find life easier when you take your focus off yourself and on to how you can help others, although doing so now seems more complicated than it did back then, when all it took was holding the hand of a dying person. You would look into the person's eyes with such love and caring that you brought genuine relief and comfort to many. People called for you when their children or other loved ones were sick. You felt that God could heal through you and you were an open vessel for healing energy.

You were especially good at helping people transition at death, relieving them of anxieties that might have made their passage more difficult. You helped people let go. You were much loved and much remembered after you died. You inspired many other people to follow in your footsteps.

<Elo-Maria> Thank you!
<DaveGregg> Morgan, you're next...
 

<msky> What (or who) will it take for the Islamic fundamentalists to stop hating Israel & the western world and does Michael see a time frame for this to ever happen? And will the sentencing of Saddam Hussein to death influence the time-line?

<ShepherdHoodwin> We think that the United States can only make this situation worse by maintaining a strong presence in the Middle East. It is likely that U.S. leaders will finally realize this and stop trying to manipulate events there, instead increasing charitable work. We don't see the sentencing to have much influence here: our impression is that the fundamentalists have mixed feelings about this.  They don't like Hussein but they don't like the U.S., which was behind the trial, either.

Peace with Israel becomes more likely when the U.S. shows goodwill by mostly pulling out of the area and positive help is offered to countries who want non-military help with their infrastructure, in exchange for peace treaties with Israel and regional cooperation in general. We think this will take 40-80 years, although much progress could be made quickly if a more enlightened approach is taken sooner rather than later.

<ShepherdHoodwin> Follow-up, Morgan?
<msky> Possibility of near or far-future US leaders starting the charitable work?

<ShepherdHoodwin> The probability is high. The U.S. people are generally charitable, and when a critical mass see that military might is not the best answer, things could change quickly. The U.S. has long been perceived by other nations as arrogant, and correcting this would go a long way towards rebalancing foreign relations.

There will probably continue to be fundamentalists who feel a need to foment anger at an enemy of some kind, but they can be controlled by their more moderate peers if a general atmosphere of respect prevails.

<msky> So as we move from Young Soul to Mature we might see this change happening?

<ShepherdHoodwin> Yes.

<msky> Good news then. Thank you Michael...mid-causal hug.,,,and physical plane cyber-hug for Shepherd.

<susanSage> Some people feel that aliens have infiltrated the US gov't at the top; is this true ?

<ShepherdHoodwin> There are some people in leadership positions who are open to fear-based energies coming from outside Earth, only because they resonate with their own fears. We do not see actual infiltration.

<DaveGregg> TzM, you're next...
 

<TzM> I feel that I am on the cusp of a big change and the beginning of a new path, hopefully integrating my experience in the religious Jewish world over the past 2 years to move forward into my Life Task and possibly a Mate Agreement. (My 31-month Neptune square Neptune transit ends in two weeks!) Would Michael tell me what they and Essence see as most important for me to know about this now? Thanks!

<ShepherdHoodwin> Yes, we do see you as being on the cusp of a significant opening to Self, a shedding of many constrictions and "shoulds" and a blossoming of joy and freedom. You will likely use religious and spiritual teachings in a lighter, more organic way, and approach life with more spontaneity.

<TzM> Is a mate agreement expected to be a catalyst for moving into the next phase?

<ShepherdHoodwin> No, the reverse: your blossoming will help draw those with whom you have agreements of various kinds.

<TzM> Thank you!
<DaveGregg> Trudy, you're next...
 

<trudy_b> Greetings. What is my life task?

<ShepherdHoodwin> Your task, Trudy, is to promote the use of delight as a tool for personal and spiritual growth, especially by joining forces with others who are doing complementary work.

<trudy_b> Thanks!
<DaveGregg> Mer, you're next...
 

<Mer> I have been doing more yoga, stretching, chi machine, breathing, not strenuous but consistent. Two weeks ago, I went to a "sing-along" with Shepherd at Jeanine's house. I quickly got over my self-consciousness and sang my heart out for hours with such a wonderful supportive group. I haven't sung since nineteen ninety two. Two days later I got my period. It followed the exact pattern of previous periods in my life. This same thing happened two years after I had stopped when I started doing hula in Hawaii. What is going on? I am 61 years old.

<ShepherdHoodwin> Your nervous system partially shut down due to stress so that you did not complete menopause normally. As new life force moves through your spine, it's like electricity moving through a machine that has been on the "fritz," causing the lights to blink on and off again. As you restore regularity to your nervous system, your menopause will complete normally.

<Mer> Thank you. It makes a lot of sense.
<DaveGregg> Ivy, you're next...
 

<ivy> I am asking for my husband David Y. He was born Deaf and has ADHD and was wondering why he chose these 2 conditions for this lifetime?

<ShepherdHoodwin> David is a soul who tends to have strongly outwardly active lifetimes. This was a means of forcing himself to focus inwardly and to find internal mastery.

<ivy> So, no karma or anything related like that to either?

<ShepherdHoodwin> We would call it self-karma. It is a way to restore internal balance. He is not paying back someone else by having these conditions.

<ivy> thank you:)
<DaveGregg> Lois, you're next...
 

<LoriS_> I would like to know if I have any agreements to physically meet with anyone in my area who can assist me in my learnings on this path. If so, what can I do to help bring this meeting about?

<ShepherdHoodwin> M: You do have an agreement with someone who appears to live about two hours from you. Why don't you put out a call on the Michael lists for people in the area. We see you probably traveling a short distance to meet for the first time. We also see you likely making a local friend whom you will introduce to the teachings and who will share your enthusiasm.

<LoriS_> Approx. when would I meet this local friend, and male or female?

<ShepherdHoodwin> Female, likely within 2-6 months at a social event or venue.

<LoriS_> Very cool, thank you!!
<DaveGregg> Laughing_boi, you're next...
 

<laughingboi> I was wondering if it were possible to find out my life task as it is related to my being cleft palate and my work as a CNA working with the elderly and infirm?

<ShepherdHoodwin> SH: Your name? What is CNA?
<laughingboi> Christine...Certified Nursing Assistant

<ShepherdHoodwin> M: Your life task is transcendence, particularly learning to see the physical as relatively minor compared to the power of your spirit, and teaching this to others. Your light is bright.

<ShepherdHoodwin> Follow-up?
<laughingboi> Do I have a tc or someone to do this with?

<ShepherdHoodwin> You are working closely with two discarnate guides; one is your task companion. These souls are profoundly with you on your path.

<laughingboi> Oh, thank you.
<DaveGregg> Melissa, you're next...
 

<Melissa_Cherie> Hello Melissa Knight here. I have noticed a pattern of being a people pleaser throughout my life past & present. I wanted to know if Michael would give any comment/insight as to why I do this even when it's not healthy for me? Thank you.

<ShepherdHoodwin> One factor is that you have a goal of acceptance. The negative pole is ingratiation. The positive is agape. Part of the lesson of this goal is to learn to live in such a way as to be sensitive to others. Taken too far, this becomes trying too hard to please.

Another factor is that you feel a void inside that you interpret as being something missing in you. This causes you to step through life very carefully because you don't feel your own solid core, your foundation. You need to validate that you do, in fact, have a strong inner foundation. Does this make sense to you?

<Melissa_Cherie> Yes...somewhat. Thank you.
<DaveGregg> Janie, you're next...
 

<janie> In my past lives, have there been any predominance in the fields of music or literature/writing as a personal accomplishment, and if so, where/ when would that have been, and how relevant would it be to my present life?

<ShepherdHoodwin> M: We see one lifetime as an accomplished violinist in Vienna around 1815-38, a male. You also have frequently written poetry as a gifted amateur. Your life is much about living in beauty and grace, and the arts are definitely part of this.

<janie> Thank you...I send love to Michael, and to you, Shepherd.
<ShepherdHoodwin> You're welcome!

<DaveGregg> Cherie, you're next...
 

<Melissa_Cherie> Hi, Cherie P. here.My mother, Peggy  passed in 1987. I would like to know what was going on between us and did we have unfinished business when she died. What is she doing now?

<ShepherdHoodwin> M: You and your mother were playing out a karma about control. You completed it at the moment of her death. She is mostly studying now and has made good progress since her passing.

<Melissa_Cherie> Is she incarnate now?
<ShepherdHoodwin> No, and currently has no plans to incarnate.
 

<Tasha> Hi Sheppherd/Michael: Tasha is actually Elsa Nohlen and you have my picture, role, overleaves etc. on file. A very good friend of mine is going through an especially hard time and I am wondering what is really going on and how can I possibly be of assistance. Her name is Sherry G. She is into looking after everybody else but primarily has been of huge help to her husband. This is all going weird.

<ShepherdHoodwin> M: Our sense is that Sherry is feeling an emptiness in her heart and is losing her sense that her life is worthwhile. It is not in balance to give without receiving, at least on an energetic level. She won't allow herself to receive the energies that would enrich her because she doesn't feel she "should." We would think that doing fun things with her that allow her to recharge would be helpful.

<Tasha> Oh my, that is exactly why I have been thinking! I am also amazed as a rather detached scholar type that my friend are always asking me for advice. Some insight into would be much appreciated too. Anyway, thank you so much. I feel I am on the right track with Sherry. I am just so worried about her.

<ShepherdHoodwin> Scholars are frequently seen as an objective source of advice. Your concern about Sherry is justified--she is having a spiritual crisis. She is stubbornly entrenched around the idea of not receiving, but it is killing her. When she opens up, we think that you will be able to help her. Until then, you can be supportive.
 

Closing Comments

<ShepherdHoodwin> We would like to now focus the group on the collective energy for a few minutes. There is an expansiveness, a feeling of space, yet connection, like planets in a solar system. See if you can let go of intellect for a moment in favor of pure perception. Would anyone like to share your perceptions?

<laughingboi> Feel kinda dizzy.
<cynzim> Objects held in a 3d membrane.
<ivy> Shivers and yawning.
<ladybroker> I am feeling strong energy.
<Jyoti_Shah> Feel something at the third eye chakra.
<ShepherdHoodwin> For dizziness, try connecting with the earth.
<janie> I am perceiving an outpouring of love.
<Elisa17> It feels like strong cloth.
<susantheoboist> I feel gentle....thanks.
<TzM> Deep deep breath again, filling right into my back.
<SylviaD> I feel the energy.
<Terri> Peace/joy.
<DianeK> Peaceful, connected.
<Jyoti_Shah> Feels good to learn so much today.
<ShepherdHoodwin> As a group, you individually have developed a magnetism with the other individuals. Can you sense this?
<janie> Yes.
<Melissa_Cherie> I feel a little less lost.
<susantheoboist> And sometimes I feel heavy when I feel like I'm connected.
<Terri> I see many faces, all peaceful and happy.
<TzM> I see different points around the globe lit up, twinkling.
<ivy> I see singular flames in a large circle when I'm here.

<ShepherdHoodwin> We think that as a result of tonight's session, you will feel more connected to one another as you communicate in whatever way. The energy work of tonight will continue to bear fruit in the coming days.  We will conclude our written connection with you for now. Blessing to you each, and good night.

<janie> Thank you, Shepherd.
<ladybroker> Thank you.
<TzM> Thanks and love!
<ivy> Thank you:)
<Elisa17> Thank you Michael/Shepherd.
<Kathryn41> Thanks you so much Shepherd
<Jyoti_Shah> Good night and thanks from me in India
<laughingboi> thanks Michael and Shepherd
<JohnRoth> Thank you, Shepherd!
<Ed`> Thanks, great energy.
<DaveGregg> Thanks, Shepherd. :-)
<janie> My heartfelt thanks to you Dave.........
 

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